There are a lot of things that are being done to try to stop the flow of oil and to clean up the spill. United States President Obama gave a speech yesterday regarding the spill and what is being done about it. Obviously he is not happy.
To give you and idea, here is what he said in a part of his speech,
[caption id="attachment_712" align="alignleft" width="505" caption="Obama Giving His Speech"]
[/caption]"Now, the most important order of business is to stop the leak. I know there have been varying reports over the last few days about how large the leak is, but since no one can get down there in person, we know there is a level of uncertainty. But as Admiral Thad Allen said today, our mobilization and response efforts have always been geared toward the possibility of a catastrophic event. And what really matters is this: There’s oil leaking and we need to stop it –- and we need to stop it as soon as possible. With that source being 5,000 feet under the ocean’s surface, this has been extremely difficult. But scientists and engineers are currently using the best, most advanced technology that exists to try to stop the flow of oil as quickly as possible.
Our second task has been to contain the spill and protect the Gulf Coast and the people who live there. We are using every available resource to stop the oil from coming ashore. Over one million feet of barrier boom have been deployed to hold the oil back. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of dispersant have helped to break up the oil, and about four million gallons of oily water have been recovered; 13,000 people have been mobilized to protect the shoreline and its wildlife, as has the National Guard."
The three main companies responsible for this mess are, British Petroleum, Transocean and Halliburton. It seems that they have been doing their best to stop the flow of oil from the source, a sunken off shore oil rig. The rig is 5,000 feet below the surface of the water so that does not help matters.
The companies responsible for the spill have not, however really taken responsibilities for the spill. The continue to point their fingers of blame at each other.
Obama was not happy about this either as this is what he said, "Let me also say, by the way, a word here about BP and the other companies involved in this mess. I know BP has committed to pay for the response effort, and we will hold them to their obligation. I have to say, though, I did not appreciate what I considered to be a ridiculous spectacle during the congressional hearings into this matter. You had executives of BP and Transocean and Halliburton falling over each other to point the finger of blame at somebody else. The American people could not have been impressed with that display, and I certainly wasn’t."
Now, I may be wrong, however, it is of my opinion that until the companies stop pointing fingers and just settle down and take full responsibility for their share in the mess it will be hard to handle the spill.
As Obama says, "I understand that there are legal and financial issues involved, and a full investigation will tell us exactly what happened. But it is pretty clear that the system failed, and it failed badly. And for that, there is enough responsibility to go around. And all parties should be willing to accept it.
That includes, by the way, the federal government. For too long, for a decade or more, there has been a cozy relationship between the oil companies and the federal agency that permits them to drill. It seems as if permits were too often issued based on little more than assurances of safety from the oil companies. That cannot and will not happen anymore. To borrow an old phrase, we will trust but we will verify."
He continues, "And so I’ve asked Secretary Salazar to conduct a top-to-bottom reform of the Minerals Management Service. This week, he announced that the part of the agency which permits oil and gas drilling and collects royalties will be separated from the part of the agency in charge of inspecting the safety of oil rigs and platforms and enforcing the law. That way, there’s no conflict of interest, real or perceived.
We’ve also ordered immediate inspections of all deepwater operations in the Gulf of Mexico. And we’ve announced that no permits for drilling new wells will go forward until the 30-day safety and environmental review that I requested is completed. We’re also closing the loophole that has allowed some oil companies to bypass some critical environmental reviews, and today we’re announcing a new examination of the environmental procedures for oil and gas exploration and development."
Now, that they have established an operating basis for preventing something like this from happening again, we still have the problem of the current oil spill.
What BP is now trying is to use a chemical dispersant at the source of the oil. This will break down the oil before it can reach the surface of the water.
In reply to Obama's speech, Tony Hayward, BP Group Chief Executive, said today in a speech:
"We absolutely understand and share President Obama's sense of urgency over the length of time this complex task is taking. We want to thank the President and his administration for their ongoing engagement in this effort.
[caption id="attachment_711" align="alignleft" width="400" caption="Boom Deployment on beaches around Port Fourchon."]
[/caption]"BP - working closely with scientists and engineers from across the whole oil industry, from government agencies and departments, and with local officials along the Gulf Coast - is focused on doing everything in our power to stop the flow of oil, remove it from the surface, and protect the shoreline. We are working with state and community leaders to mitigate the impact on the lives and livelihoods of those who have been affected.
"And while we continue in these efforts, we are participating fully in investigations that will provide valuable lessons about how to prevent future incidents of this nature."
It seems that BP is trying to take responsibility for their mess.
Right now, the companies just need to work together and find a workable solution for the oil spill. They should wait till this mess is cleaned up to point fingers. Right now, there is no time for games. They need to get working.
Also, it does no good to just blame the big companies for their mess or to boycott BP or anything like that. You can do this later if you must. Right now, find out what YOU can do to help or what YOU can do to take responsibility for this oil spill.
Below are some links where you can help:
Click Here to volunteer for National Wildlife Federation's Gulf Coast Surveillance Teams. Learn more about the Surveillance Teams
Use Social Media to Spread the Word About the Oil Spill
Send a letter to your senator
Text "WILDLIFE" to 20222 to donate $10
More information about how you can help
0 التعليقات:
إرسال تعليق